How Library Stuff Works: Boolean Operators (AND OR NOT)
Summary
TLDRThe video script introduces Boolean operators as essential tools for refining searches, saving time and effort. It explains how 'AND' narrows results by requiring both keywords, 'OR' broadens searches by including synonyms, and 'NOT' excludes irrelevant terms. The script uses the example of searching for 'cats in dementia therapy' to illustrate the application of these operators, emphasizing their importance in achieving precise search results.
Takeaways
- π Boolean operators are essential tools for effective and efficient searching in databases and search engines.
- π The AND operator narrows search results by requiring both keywords to be present in the retrieved documents.
- π The OR operator broadens search results by retrieving documents containing one or more of the specified keywords or synonyms.
- β The NOT operator is used to exclude irrelevant results that contain a specific keyword, thus refining the search further.
- π‘ Boolean operators allow for communication with databases using specific strategies to obtain more relevant search results.
- 𧩠Using AND with main concepts or keywords ensures that both terms are included in the search results.
- π The OR operator is useful for including synonyms in a search to capture a wider range of relevant documents.
- π« The NOT operator helps to filter out terms that are frequently retrieved but do not pertain to the topic of interest.
- π The transcript provides a practical example of searching for 'cats in dementia therapy' to illustrate the use of Boolean operators.
- π For further assistance, the video suggests consulting the McMaster Libraries Boolean Cheat Sheet or seeking help from a librarian.
Q & A
What are Boolean operators and how do they benefit search queries?
-Boolean operators are tools used to communicate with databases and search engines, allowing users to refine, filter, narrow, or broaden their searches. They save time, energy, and reduce frustration by helping to retrieve the maximum amount of relevant information while minimizing irrelevant results.
How does the AND operator help in narrowing search results?
-The AND operator narrows search results by ensuring that both keywords are present in the retrieved documents. It is used to link main concepts or keywords, and the search engine only retrieves documents containing both keywords.
What is an example of a situation where the AND operator would be useful?
-An example where the AND operator would be useful is when searching for information about 'cats in dementia therapy'. Using AND would ensure that the search results include documents that discuss both 'cats' and 'dementia therapy'.
How does the OR operator broaden the scope of search results?
-The OR operator broadens search results by retrieving documents that contain one or more of the specified keywords. It is commonly used to include synonyms in a search, allowing for more relevant documents to be found.
Can you provide a scenario where the OR operator might be necessary?
-A scenario where the OR operator might be necessary is when searching for documents on 'treatments' in addition to 'therapy'. Using OR would retrieve documents containing either 'treatment' or 'therapy', increasing the chances of finding relevant information.
What is the purpose of the NOT operator in search queries?
-The NOT operator is used to exclude results that are not relevant to the search but are being recalled due to a specific keyword. It helps to narrow down results by instructing the search engine not to retrieve documents containing the keyword following NOT.
Give an example of how the NOT operator could be applied in a search?
-An example of applying the NOT operator could be in a search for 'cat therapy' where 'P-CAT' is a popular healthcare assessment tool causing irrelevant results. Using 'NOT p-cat' would exclude documents containing 'p-cat', improving the relevance of the search results.
What are the three Boolean operators discussed in the script, and what do they do?
-The three Boolean operators discussed are AND, OR, and NOT. AND is used to narrow results by linking main concepts, OR broadens results by including synonyms, and NOT narrows results by excluding irrelevant terms.
How can synonyms affect the relevance of search results?
-Synonyms can affect search results by causing the search engine to retrieve documents that are not relevant to the topic. For example, searching for 'therapy' might also return documents about 'treatment', which might not be the intended focus of the search.
What additional resources are suggested for learning more about Boolean operators?
-For more information on Boolean operators, the script suggests checking out the McMaster Libraries Boolean Cheat Sheet or consulting a librarian.
Why are Boolean operators essential in creating effective search strategies?
-Boolean operators are essential in creating effective search strategies because they allow for precise communication with search engines, enabling users to filter out irrelevant information and focus on results that are directly related to their search query.
Outlines
π Introduction to Boolean Operators
This paragraph introduces Boolean operators as essential tools for effective and efficient searching. It explains that Boolean operators allow users to communicate with databases and search engines in a way that refines search results. The example of searching for 'cats in dementia therapy' is used to illustrate how combining keywords with Boolean operators can yield more relevant results. The paragraph sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the AND, OR, and NOT operators.
π€ The AND Operator: Narrowing Search Results
The AND operator is discussed as a method to narrow down search results by ensuring that both keywords are present in the retrieved documents. By using 'cat AND therapy', the search is refined to include only documents that mention both terms, thus eliminating irrelevant results like 'cats in the wild' or 'music therapy for infants'. This operator is crucial for focusing on the core concepts of a search query.
π The OR Operator: Broadening Search Results
The OR operator is presented as a tool to broaden search results by including synonyms or related terms. It allows the retrieval of documents that contain one or more of the specified keywords, such as 'treatment OR therapy', thus capturing a wider range of relevant information. This is particularly useful when the search terms have multiple possible synonyms or related concepts.
π« The NOT Operator: Excluding Irrelevant Results
The NOT operator is explained as a way to exclude specific keywords that lead to irrelevant search results. By using 'cat NOT p-cat', documents containing 'p-cat', which is unrelated to the search topic, can be excluded. This operator is vital for removing noise from search results and ensuring that the retrieved information is more closely aligned with the user's query.
π Summary of Boolean Operators
The paragraph concludes with a summary of the three Boolean operators discussed: AND, OR, and NOT. It reiterates that AND is used to link main concepts, OR is for including synonyms, and NOT is for excluding irrelevant terms. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of these operators in creating precise and effective search strategies, and it directs viewers to additional resources for more information.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Boolean Operators
π‘AND
π‘OR
π‘NOT
π‘Search Strategy
π‘Refine
π‘Narrowing Results
π‘Broadening Results
π‘Exclude
π‘Synonyms
Highlights
Boolean operators enhance search effectiveness by saving time, energy, and reducing frustration.
They allow specific communication with databases and search engines requiring detailed search strategies.
An example search strategy is developed for information on 'cats in dementia therapy'.
Boolean operators refine, filter, narrow, or broaden searches to maximize relevant information and minimize irrelevant.
The AND operator narrows search results to documents containing both specified keywords.
Using AND ensures that both keywords are present in the retrieved articles.
The OR operator broadens search results to include synonyms and related terms.
OR allows retrieval of documents containing one or more of the specified keywords.
The NOT operator excludes results containing specific irrelevant keywords.
NOT is used to avoid irrelevant documents that contain certain frequently retrieved terms.
AND is used to link main concepts or keywords in a search.
OR is used to include all synonyms in a search for broader results.
NOT is used to exclude terms that are frequently retrieved but not topic-related.
The video discusses the practical application of AND, OR, and NOT Boolean operators in search queries.
For more information, the McMaster Libraries Boolean Cheat Sheet is recommended.
Librarians can provide additional guidance on using Boolean operators effectively.
Transcripts
Boolean operators not only create
extremely effective searches.
They are tools that can save you a lot of time, energy, and frustration.
But what are they exactly?
Boolean operators are a way in which you, the searcher
are able to communicate with databases and search engines
that require extremely specific strategies
Let's say you are looking for information
about the use of cats in dementia therapy.
You've already watched the How Library Stuff Works Video
on How to Choose Keywords
and developed search strategy which looks a little bit like this:
Feeling keen, you plug all of these words into the database
and come up with...
well..
not exactly what you were looking for.
This is where Boolean Operators come in.
Boolean operators are a way in which we can
refine, filter, narrow or broaden our search.
An effective search gives us the
maximum amount of relevant information
and the least amount of irrelevant information.
First let's talk about the Boolean Operator AND
The AND operator is a way in which
we can narrow and refine a set of search results
If we plug in the keywords cat therapy Into our database,
we can't be sure what the database is doing.
But, we may get back documents that
that only talk about cats
or only talk about therapy
Obviously documents like cats in the wild
or music therapy for infants
aren't relevant to our search.
By linking our keywords with the Boolean Operator AND
We are able to limit our results to only documents
that contain both the words cat and therapy.
This ensures that both keywords are
present in the articles we retrieve, narrowing our results
But what if you have the opposite problem?
What if the most relevant articles to your topic
don't actually contain the words cat or therapy?
Can you think of an instance when this would happen?
How about synonyms?
Even though we may also like documents
on treatments in addition to therapy
The search engine doesn't know this
This is where the OR operator comes in
By telling the database we want articles that contain
the words treatment or therapy
we're able to retrieve more relevant documents
than if we just use the word therapy
since only one of the keywords needs to be present.
But wait
Did you know that P-CAT is a popular
healthcare assessment tool?
When you're typing in cat,
the database is bringing back
a ton of articles P-CAT
which is affecting your ability
to find relevant documents
This is where the Boolean Operator NOT comes in
The NOT operator is a way in which we can exclude results
that are not relevant to our search
but are being recalled due to a specific keyword.
So in our search, if we tell the database NOT p-cat
We are able to exclude any documents
that contain the word p-cat
and are probably not relevant to our topic.
To summarize, this video has talked about
three 3 Boolean Operators
AND OR NOT
AND is a way in which we can narrow a set of results.
A common use of the Boolean Operator AND is
to link main concepts or keywords
When we use AND, the search engine knows to
only retrieve documents that contain
both the keywords linked by the operator
OR is a way in which you can broaden a set of results
A common use of the Boolean Operator OR
is to include all synonyms in a search.
When we use the operator OR,
the search engine knows to retrieve results that
contain one or more of the keywords
NOT is another way to narrow a set of results
A common use of the Boolean Operator NOT
is to exclude terms that are frequently being retrieved
but do not relate to our topic.
When we use the operator NOT,
the search engine does not retrieve any documents
that contain the keyword following the operator
For more information check out McMaster Libraries Boolean Cheat Sheet.
Or come ask a librarian!
Browse More Related Video
Super GOOGLE: Top 12 Advanced Search Techniques
13 Dorking
Basic Searching in Splunk Enterprise
How Library Stuff Works: Boolean Modifiers "", *, ( )
43. OCR A Level (H046-H446) SLR8 - 1.2 Introduction to programming part 4 mathematical operators
Online Search and Research Skills | Empowerment Technologies | RenTV
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)